Bryce Zabel's MOVIE SMACKDOWN!

Mad Men (2009-2007) -vs- Revolutionary Road (2008)

 Trouble in Paradise 

The Smackdown. In the age of instant communication, instant gratification looking back 50 years seems like a trip in the way-back machine. Many of us remember this as the time our parents scrambled to attain a level of security described by the catchall American Dream.

We tie this period before the Cuban Missile Crisis to hula hoops, fallout shelters, drive-in movies, TV dinners and American Bandstand. This was a time when people in the background --mostly men-- worked overtime branding these cultural signposts as passports to the good life. This period matters. It directed the shape of many of our lives.

Against that backdrop, "Mad Men" began a low-key run on cable's AMC channel. The program caught fire and soon begins a third season. The ensemble drama is set in a fictional New York advertising agency, Sterling Cooper and follows hotshot Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in and out of the office. Along the way, dramas play out in a time capsule where the look of that material world and the attitudes of the time strike a consistent, convincing note. Even better dramatically, all is not right in this artificial paradise. So far, "M-M" has pulled in six Emmys, three Golden Globes plus a BAFTA award and the critical run may not be over.

Director Sam Mendes visited this creative neighborhood in 2008's "Revolutionary Road," just out on DVD and Blu-ray. Featuring his real-life wife, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio breathe discomforting life into Richard Yates' 1961 novel. Both look right in the environment. They have problems, and it's not a giant leap in logic to imagine the DiCaprio and Hamm characters running into each other at the train station.

Good drama plays well on large screen and small and this Smackdown! will focus on the smaller elements that advance the story: Which project evokes the stronger sense of historical authenticity and anxiety in this big apple to big apple comparison?

Next (2007) -vs- Blade Runner (1982)

Editor's Note:  Hard to believe, but "Blade Runner" was released 27 years ago today in the summer of 1982 on 1,290 theaters. That date was chosen by producer Alan Ladd, Jr. because his previous highest-grossing films ("Star Wars" and "Alien") had also opened on the 25th (May 25) in 1977 and 1979, making the date his "lucky day." Maybe it wasn't so lucky, though, since the gross for the opening weekend was a disappointing $6.15 million. Critics were divided but it's aged well. Roger Ebert, for example, thought the visuals were great but the story thin when it originally came out, but in 2007 when "Blade Runner: The Final Cut" was released, he added it to his list of Great Movies. Over here at the Smack, referee Mark Sanchez put that revised DVD release in the ring against "Next" a couple of years ago and we bring it back today as a Classic Smack. ~~ Bryce Zabel

 Do Over 

The Smackdown. What a luxury in life-- and the movies-- to get a "do over." No mistake remains uncorrected, no last word is ever really final. That's how it is with the most celebrated screen adaptation of Philip K. Dick, "Blade Runner."  A new  --  and final, they promise --  version of this fantasy favorite from 1982 is now available on DVD. Dick is the most successful dead writer working in the movies today and, even though the track record on adapting his work is spotty at best, hopes are always high when a new one comes out. That's why the newest Philip K. Dick inspired film, "Next," had people talking. Question is: does it rise to the level of greatness the original "Blade Runner" reached a quarter-of-a-century ago, or is it just another wannabe?

The Challenger. In "Next," Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) is a low rent Las Vegas magician who performs under the stage name Frank Cadillac and states his life goal early on: "Leave me alone and let me live some semblance of a normal life." Fat chance. He has this... gift... allowing him to see his future two minutes ahead. Not much time, but enough to let Cris rack up small consistent winnings at the gaming tables undetected. Or so he thought. FBI agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) wants Cris to help recover a stolen nuclear weapon; terrorists want to kill him. Cris obsesses over a young teacher, Liz (Jessica Biel), and imagines different "futures" to organize a random meeting. These elements combine and Cris must use his powers to save himself, save Liz and save Los Angeles from nuclear disaster. 

Terminator Salvation (2009) -vs- The Terminator (1984)

 Before (and After) Arnold Came Back 

The Smackdown. Movies, like much in life, reinforce the notion that more isn't always better, just more. For every "Godfather II," you get "Teen Wolf Too," "Dumb and Dumberer," and "Jaws: The Revenge." With some ideas, better to cut your losses.

That question comes to mind with the new release of "Terminator Salvation." Has the basic idea worn out its welcome? "The Terminator" came out in 1984 and became a world wide hit that propelled director James Cameron into a distinguished career. Arnold Schwarzenegger graduated from curiosity to movie star.

It's now a bankable franchise. The basic idea of mechanized death traveling through time to alter the future carried three feature films and a now-canceled TV series. All rework the storyline to emphasize different aspects of a familiar fable. They succeed to varying degrees and set a high bar for whatever follows.

"Terminator Salvation" faces tall tasks in this Smackdown!: Does it succeed as a film on its own merits, while advancing the memorable elements set forth in "The Terminator?" Will you hear "I'll be back" and wonder why?

Angels & Demons (2009) -vs- The Da Vinci Code (2006)

 Church Vestments, Murderous Hearts 

The Smackdown. Nothing succeeds like excess, no question. Translated to movies: Bigger violence, mightier superheroes, escalating hype. If the box office roars, the basic material will be sequeled, prequeled, reimagined until the legs fall off.

"The Da Vinci Code" hit all the marks in 2006: An international cast, well known locales and a wildly controversial premise to inflame a global audience. The Catholic Church condemned the production, partisans -for and against- lined up long before the book-to-movie reached the screen. Even now, the background noise obscures the relative merits of the film. All that buzz was an answered prayer for the film makers: "The Da Vinci Code" earned upwards of $750 million and author Dan Brown found an audience even larger than his popular book did.

Now, the production team is back: Director Ron Howard, screenwriters Akiva Goldsman, David Koepp and Columbia Pictures mining gold from an earlier Dan Brown novel now presented as a sequel: "Angels & Demons."

This sets up an irresistible Smackdown! but let's understand a few ground rules: These films are works of dramatic fiction, not documentary in nature. As such I view neither one as an attack on the Catholic Church or the nature of Jesus. As a lifelong observant Catholic I rest easy knowing my faith is not assailed by historical misstatements and preposterous notions offered as plot devices in these movies. I live with the reality, positive and accepting of human frailty, reinforced over a lifetime. Hey, even the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano describes "Angels & Demons" as harmless entertainment.

As a basis for judgment, that works for me.

Galaxy Quest (1999) -vs- Spaceballs (1987)

 Patrolling the Universe for Laughs 

The Smackdown. Okay. The Swine Flu might scare you from venturing out for the new "Star Trek" movie-- so why not try another something familiar available on DVD? "Galaxy Quest" lands in a Deluxe Edition May 12 from Paramount Home Entertainment.  It remains an underrated pleasure ten years after the original hit the screen -- and so what if it reminds you a little of "Star Trek?" Alright, much more than a little.

Repackaging grows new legs for a movie and, for many viewers, improves the experience with better sound, cleaner prints and those behind the scenes features. In "Galaxy Quest" you hear the affection Director Dean Parisot and writers David Howard and Robert Gordon clearly have for the material. The question: Does all that backstage chatter ramp up YOUR affection?

There's also the matter of another movie already patrolling the universe for laughs. Mel Brooks called outer space "the last genre I can destroy" and worked over "Star Wars" in 1987's "Spaceballs." He came out with related features on a 2000 DVD. Mel couldn't leave well enough alone, and released a 2005 Collector's Edition with even more goofiness.

This SMACKDOWN! won't argue the merits / demerits of those movies. Both have a strong fan base (count me in both) and they're funny. This time, let's go behind the screen to gauge those special elements on the Deluxe Edition / Collector's Edition DVDs. It beats waiting for your fever to break.